On fiscal cliff deadline lawmakers vote to rescind salary hike

It looks like members of Congress are finally getting the picture that they're not too popular. The fiscal cliff package approved by the Senate includes a provision that blocks the salary increase lawmakers were supposed to get in 2013, from $174,000 to $174,900.

"Good news. In deal we will STOP any pay increase for Congress. Thank goodness. Good reason to vote for it," tweeted Sen. Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc), on New Year's Eve as the deal was taking shape.

The Missouri Democrat has been vocal for months in opposing a pay raise for Congress, particularly as the fiscal cliff drama dragged on. The House must still approve the measure, followed by President Barack Obama's signature.

Under current federal law lawmakers' pay automatically rises unless they specifically vote to deny themselves a raise - which this year they didn't. The $900-a-year raise is in line with what other federal workers will get in the coming year. That's because President Barack Obama recently issued an executive order to end the pay freeze on federal employees, in effect giving some federal workers a raise.

What should be noticed here is that they didn't refuse the raise until public furor became so loud. Responsible leaders would have cut their pay in half since every damn one of them write hot checks at the Senate Bank, get graft from lobbyists and have a travel, mailing and housing allowance.

@Fishbone345 I'm outraged at the laziness and apathy of the American people. Polls show more than 90% of voters think congress is corrupt to the core EXCEPT for THEIR congress person so they go right ahead and re-elect their own time after time and they live like feudal lords. And the dumbing down of America marches on.

@jessejaymes Agreed. And when they speak out on Congress, they buy into the partisan bulls%$t. You can see it on here, a microcosm of what is happening out there in the US. Here is a story about greedy politicians who only decided against a pay raise when Americans got upset about the very idea. And look at the responses, Left posters will bitch about the Right, and vice versa. Instead of speaking out about the WHOLE of Washington being to blame. Greed doesn't know a party, and I wish the US would wake up and see that.

@Fishbone345 Exactly. Take the case of the demise of Hostess brand. The Executives tripled their salaries during 3 rounds of bankruptcy going from 300,000.00 a year for the CEO to over a million while IN BANKRUPTCY. On the flip side of the coin the Union refused to allow Wonder bread and Twinkies to be delivered in the same truck. So the left blames management and the right blames the Unions and IN FACT IT WAS BOTH. GREED.

Do you really believe re-electing someone else would make a difference? The system is broken from the inside out. It is corrupt because money and power are a dangerous combination, especially in politics. As long as we have very rich people in very powerful positions we will never have a government for the rest of us.

Just what the hell did they do that made them think they deserved one anyway.This is the kinda fruit loop thinking that land us in this crap hole in the first place.I believe in pay for performance, in which case they owe us money.

They didn't deserve any of them since 2006 when Nancy P and her liberal cohorts vo9ted themselves a $15,000 dollar raise befiore they left for their't annual; summer vacation and left the military problwm hanging. Odd how people forget that or qall the other nasty things the liberal pulled to pass Obama Care which no one wanted and still don't.

@Denizen_Kate You know Kate I sometimes wonder if the far right shouldn't just don Nazi Uniforms and call themselves the Fourth Reich. I mean it might conflict on the surface with being fundamentalists but they twist everything else, I'm sure they work it out. But they are not conservatives. They're heathens,.

Oh, poor little Congress members. Not getting a raise. 11% of the members of Congress are among the richest 1% in America. There are 237 millionaires in Congress. Let's ask ourselves why these men and women would need a raise AT ALL? Why even a salary? They are well off enough to support themselves without a taxpayer-funded salary, don't you think? Why do they believe the tax payer should support them? And how much does the tax payer pay for the honor of having these so-called leaders? Approximately $95.8 million dollars for all 541 members of Congress.

$900.00 wasn't enough! They should have taken a $75,000.00 pay cut for penalties in what they have done to this country in the last 20 years. NAFTA and other sell out treaties sold this country out, so make them all pay for not repealing it. They only work half the year, travel with no expenses and recieve benefits. Did you ever wonder why a Congressperson spends two million to get elected to a $170,000 a year job with no gaurantee of a career? Does this make any sense? Yes, because they all become dirty and greedy once they get in office. They make millions and everyone is on the take. You are kidding yourself if you do not think this happens.

Actually, they should get only minimum wage with no benefits. Let them try to buy health coverage on minimum wage. And they should be forbidden, legally, from taking any other compensation. I'll bet we'd see minimum wage and fair labor laws properly implemented in quick time.